Working with Professionals: Such a Good Thing

Last evening, I participated in a conference call with fellow National Board Certified Teachers in Arkansas as we planned for the upcoming state conference in May.  Working with such professionals inspires me, motivates me, validates me.

Of concern, in our state right now, was the attempt to push through a bill that would have drastically affected the stipends NBCTs receive in our state...with mine being completely cut.  Ouch!  But...thanks to this group of leaders the bill was changed...not perfect...but so much better than the original intent.

From this experience flows two thoughts:

1. Experience is of little value in our state.  After year 20, I maxed out on our pay scale.  In what other profession do businesses no longer grant raises?  That's right, with the exception of a 1% raise (how low can you go?!), I have not received a raise, not even a cost of living increase, in six years.  Yes, that does something to you.  THEN, my national board stipend was nearly stripped...or washed out to sea...to continue that above metaphor!  For the first time, I felt old.  Dear friend, 50 is just too young to feel this old!  Seriously!
2. On a more positive note, this group of officers and board members do make an impact in our state.  As a newbie to this board, this is the message I want to share with other NBCTs.  Had this group not requested a meeting, had this group not vocalized their concerns, had this group not insisted upon a compromise, this bill would have quietly passed, for never was the input of this group requested...nor wanted, is my thought.  Yes, there is power in the voice.  Very thankful for this group of leaders.  Very.

With these thoughts in mind, I so encourage you to become involved in a professional organization.  Find one that stands, that pushes you, that validates who you are as a professional.

I often attribute my professional growth to this group and my involvement in my other professional organization, the Arkansas Reading Association.  Through them, I learn, I am challenged, I am stimulated...yes, I grow.

We have experienced little professional growth in our department in the last few years.  For instance, I work with a three-year English teacher who has attended one professional conference in the those three years (and that one was not initialized by the district).  Unfortunately, his professional growth has been stunted. 

Note of Clarification:  I am not saying that I cannot grow from working with my peers.  I do.  I learn from the newbies as we share ideas, methods, choices.  Some I utilize; some I allow to continue floating out to sea!  :)

There's just something about meeting and greeting with professionals in your co-op, your state, your nation.  A classroom can be a lonely place...oh, the irony!  Therefore, all the more reason for peers to meet and grow.  Absolutely!

In what professional organizations are you involved?  Are you active?  Just on the roll?  (I am also a member of ASCD...one of those roll members because I appreciate the membership professional book benefits!)

How have your professional groups encouraged growth within you?  Let's keep growing!

For the Love of Challenge

For the last few weeks, several students in every class have been challenging me to the most pages read contest.  One read over 3,000 pages.  In his words, "I usually watch a movie.  I just didn't.  I read instead."

I read, also.  Then, I slacked off, wanting some of them to win.  Several I beat...two, including the one above, beat me.

What is it that makes us just love a good competition?  Whether the extrinsic reward of "beating" others or the intrinsic reward of achieving, competition pushes us, motivates us, compels us.  While negative consequences may occur as some get left out, some seldom win, the positives seem, in my experience, to outweigh the negative.

This competition was a win-win.  The students read.  I read.

And the winners?  Sweet treats on Valentine's Day...aka, Gillmore Brownies, which resulted in my baking 11 batches of Double Brownies = 22 brownie mixies, 5+ cups of water, 11 cups of oil, and 44 eggs.

Yes, they are sweet kids...figuratively...and literally!

We'll not tell them that I had planned to treat them to this favorite treat...shhhhhh.  :)

Grade Sheets...and Such

In my English 10 classes, I handed back a recently written three-chunk paragraph and asked them to create a grade sheet determining how much each component/part/sentence would be worth.  I heard...

• "We made this worth too much."
• "This is hard."
• "I am just going to wait on Mrs. Gillmore to give us the points."

Interesting.

Should do this more often...before they write.  I know this.  Why do I not do what I know I should?  

You know the answer:  this assignment came to me on the spur of the moment...and it was a good one...of course!  Then, as they began handing them in, I knew...I knew they, too, had written on the spur of the moment.  Thus, today...we slowed down, worked on a common grade sheet, and then took the time to rewrite, this time earning the points on the grade sheet.

Good day in English 10.

Literacy Giants...or just too biased?

Living in this country is such a privilege, one we cannot appreciate, for we have always been blessed in such a way.

With that said...

Throughout my 26-year career in education in the literacy field, I have come to admire and respect and somewhat faithfully follow some of whom I refer to as the Literacy Giants.  I purchase their books, read their blogs, "follow" and "friend" them on social media, and attend conferences just to hear them speak...and maybe even obtain their autographs!

Until.

This election.

Where sides seem to be enemies.  Where one is a deplorable if not on the right side.

I will not apologize for who I am...an educated, white woman who lives in the South who does not go barefoot and have only once been pregnant in my 50 years.

I have read their posts, nearly all political, all alienating approximately 50% of their readers.

I read...and read.

Then, I began to mute and hide their posts, for I do not read their tirades to change my political views.  I read to grow professionally. Of this, I so wish these Giants would remain cognizant.  My not purchasing their books will not break their bank accounts, and, honestly, should one ever happen on this post, certainly, the response would be a further attempt to belittle me.

I so hope I am wrong, for I want the Literacy Giants to continue making money off of 100% of their readers, followers, purchasers of paper products (and digital ones, also...just enjoyed that alliteration!).

Part of the privilege of living in this country remains having diverse opinions.  Goodness, people, we haven't agreed since the founding of this nation.  Before that even.  When this opportunity no longer exists, what will we have?  Not America.

I love America.  She is I.  I am She.

Disagree with me.  Accept me.  Work with me.  Teach me.

Do not shut me down.  Do not shut me out.

Please remain the Giants you are to me. Help me to continue to grow professionally.

Thank you.

Blogging 101...Or 107?

This year, my classes are blogging again.  Has been a while, for our department abandoned this tool some time ago.

This past week, each student created his/her own blog...and the engagement was 100%.  Totally.  Maybe this comment summed up this assigned task:  "This is fun.  Why can't we do more things like this?"

We can.  As in one post a week kind of fun.  :)

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We have now begun week three of blogging, with my assigning topics, sometimes a single topic, sometimes allowing choice of three, planning ahead, announcing today that Writer's Notebook will become a house of topic choices.

So far?  HUGE success, with the students posting, thinking, discussing.

In another week or so, the goal remains to take this to the next step:  creating dialogue online via the comments.  Using the links to each class, each student, the writers will be assigned two blogs to read and add comments.  Using the lists of blogs, the students will rotate through the list, the end result being they read and comment on all the blogs this spring semester.

__________________

As much as we love social media, why not utilize a tool or two within the classroom?

Tell me...what teacher does not enjoy a quiet classroom...with every student engaged...type, type, typing their thoughts?

Just cool.

2017's My One Word

The below post was written with and for my students in my English classes.
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INTRODUCTION:  My one for 2017 is diligent, continuing a now seven-year tradition from which I have gained much more insight about myself.  In what ways do I need to become more diligent, more conscientious?  I suspect in many, including personal and professional ares of my life.

CHUNK 1:  In some ways, some would say that I chose this word.  Maybe I did, for as the month of December rolls around, I do begin thinking of what my next word will be.  I think.  I read.  I ponder.  I listen.  I read some more.  I awake at night...and think.  This time, no word came.  Until.  Until New Year's Eve...about 10:30.  Then, I knew.  My word would be diligent.

CHUNK 2:  I would say, though, that diligent chose me.  So how does a word choose me?  Hummm...it just happens.  (I know...I am not supposed to use the word it.  That's right...counting on my student NOT reading this!)  So how does a word choose me?  I just feel that nudge, that conviction.  When I think of another word...and I did...my brain just immediately shifts back to this word.  As I assigned this to my word choice to my students, this method worked for some of them, for before I was finished, I heard some saying, "My word is..."  Words do choose people.  Ask them.

CONCLUSION:  For these reasons, I look forward to the results of this word diligent in my life...both its impact on me and the ways in which this word will affect others in my life.  From my previous years' experience, I know this is a life-changing experience...if taken seriously.  Just the other day, a lady shared with me her word...and then her two previous words and the impact they had had on her.  Awesome!













Some harbingers that might suggest this word's success in my life would be...

2017's Intentions

For several years now, I have written Intentions...instead of resolutions.  The beauty of an Intention?  This word gives one the grace to try again, which I often do not find with a Resolution.
  My previous post reflects on my completion of the last year's Intentions and based on that reflection, I should intend to list some of last year's Intentions again!

Here goes...all 17...in no particular order!

1. Read more!  Last year I read 39 books...11 of those completed in the last two weeks of the year.  That's right...I went through quite a spell of not reading at all.  Not good.  A book lover, as myself, an owner of many books, as myself, just not just purchase books to sit on a shelf.    Thus, this year, while realizing the commitments within my life, I intend to read a book a week...not a total of 52..but one book per week.
2. Read the entire Bible this year.  I completed my first read...but that took me two years.  
3. Write more...here...and on my other blogs.  May just be short posts.  Better some reflection than none, as I put off writing what I hope will be extensive thoughts due to lack of time.
4. Continue involvement within my professional memberships.  These groups brought immense professional validation within my life last year.  A blessing beyond measure.  AND the friendships I treasure. Again, a blessing.
5. Witness my daughter graduate and begin her first year of college.  Wow!  
6. Practice my markswomanship.  I have said this in the past...but I want to do this!  AND this means spending time with The Man.  Yes.
7. Learn what this year's My One Word...diligent...has in store for me.
8. Continue involvement in two book clubs:  Paper Chase Book Club and BHS Reads.  AND this will result in 24 of my 52 books!
9. Be more hospitable by inviting friends and family into my home.  I do and have hosted events at school and within my church, but inviting persons into one's home is just more personable.  
10. Continue my women's Bible Study Group:  Making Choices for Him.  This past year we concluded out meetings with a Christmas dinner at my house.  Fun, food, and fellowship.
11. Be blessed as I witness the growth of  those within my Sunday School Class; this class has grown some this year in numbers.  I like them!  Great people.
12. Be ready to walk through open doors, to leave alone doors that are locked to me, and to enjoy simply looking through a window should be what is before me.
13. Be creative...whether through making quilts, painting on canvasses, or finishing cutouts prepared by The Husband.
14. Push my "kids" in all my classes (high school, college, and church) to learn just a bit more than they thought they wanted to learn.
15. Be timely, arriving on time, if not early.  To sit and wait for a meeting to start is a waste of time during which I could be accomplishing something else.  That's right...I have never thought I was one to run late...I was just always multi-tasking.  Right!  BUT those observing my arriving late do not know what I just left...they just see me as late.
16. Attend events, concerts, conventions that ensure that I continue to grow and learn.
17. Spend more time with my side of the family and appreciate the gift they are to me.

There. All 17 Intentions.

Good luck to me!

Now, to read for a bit.  Yes, see numbers 1, 2, 8, and 10!